Siphon for filling milk cans



July 22, 1952 w. J. TAMMINGA sIPHoN Fon FILLING MILK cANs Filed May 5. 1949 i INVENToR. Inl/UAM J.' 75mm/Gn L w M w N P w T An Patented July 22, 1952 SIPHONFOR FILLING MILK CANS William J; Tamminga, Goshen. N. Yeassignorto- Wiz-Products, Inc., Goshen, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application May- 3, 1949-, Serial' N 01. 91,041

Claims. .-1

YThis invention is a' siphon,xthroughx the use of which, conventional twenty. or forty quart milk delivery cans may beV filled at. a; Creamery or other milk depot from abulk supply of milk.

The siphons heretofore employed for vthis purpose have been provided at` the lower ends of their shorter and. longer legs withvalves adapted tobe opened by contact with the bottomof: the can and with the bottom of a, tank containing the. bulk supply of milk,K to permit'milk to.` iiowfrom thetank'into the. can. These valvesare so constructed that, when `the siphon is lifted out ofthe can, the'valves automaticallyv close tovkeep thesiphon charged for the filling of the next can. However, the valvesof all suchprior siphonsu have uniformly embodied a number of metal vparts threaded together. These `constructions :havenot proven satisfactory for many reasons.. Forexample, the metal valves, which require contact withthe can andtank, dentvorideform thecans, are difficult to maintain tightssealing and lthe screw threaded connections are unsanitary Vand form a harborfor` germs, .bacteria and other foreign. matter. n

The primary purpose of the vpresent invention is to provide an, improved valve arrangement for siphonsof the character described.. `My. valve` arrangement is. absolutely sanitary and that portion of'thevalve which contactswith the can and tank vbottom is of rubber` so that it cannot. dent or otherwiseharm these parts. The structurev is also. readily demountable and may be maintained clean and sterile at all times.

Features of the invention, otherthan those adverted'to, will be apparent.; from thesherei'nafterfdetailed description and appended claims, when read in conjunction with kthe. accompanying drawing The: 4accompanying drawing illustrates one.

practicaly embodiment ofthe invention, but the constructionv therein;` shown. is to be. vunderstood asV illustrative, only, and not :asv defining the. limits of the invention.

Figure l shows a can 'filling Siphon` embodying the..` present invention and the manneriof its use, they can and tank being-illustrated in. section.

Figure 2 is a section on the linew21-2: ofFig.- ure 1.

Figure 3 is an underneathzplan..viewrof the.

of milk, adapted to be'trans'ferredin. desirabley quantities Vinto a conventional milk f delivery` .cari

(Cl. 25h-11.5)

5 adapted to be thereby lled. The; Siphon-isprovided with a short legsB and a long leg- If connected near their topsv by a crosstube The upper end of the leg 'I has a screw cap S threaded thereto with an appropriate interposed: gasket pose of these. removable seals 9: andfa' is topermit thorough cleaning ofthe tubes, by thefpassage. of a brush therethrough, Vwhen theseals are re.- moved.

Upon. the'v lower end'or each ofthe legsl 6 and l is'mounted'a globular; metallic. valve. chamber I-D. Thisgvalvechamber I0 is securely welded in place; withappropriate fillets to eliminate. sharp cornersor crevicesin which foreignmatter might lodge.

Positioned within the; lower end-of each'leg is a. cylindrical guide, preferablyxinithe form ofV a sleevev I I., havingv anice: sliding `fit within .the leg andprovided'at itsy lower endf with; an external iiangejor: enlarged headil which forms a limitingstop against upward movementzof` the guide beyond. thev positionshown in full lines in"Fi`g- 111762".

Beneath theY lower endof' the sleeve Il is. a.

valvesupporting plate I3. 'This plate is spaced from the lower end of the sleeve I I by a plurality of wire spacers I4', shown three. in number, althoughA any'number. of spacers may be used.y In any event, thesespacers are preferably welded to both the. sleeve II and plate I2, so. as to form a unit therewith and they serve to maintain the sleeve and plate in axial` alinement. The outer diameter of the ange I2 and the-plate I3 are preferably very slightly'smaller than the circular coaxial mouth I5 at the lower end of the valve chamber, so thatA the sleeve and plate may be moved into and outv of the positionshown inA Fig. 2Y by passing them collectively through the mouth If5 of the valve chamber.

The under. sidev ofthe plate`v I3 is provided with two or more cylindrical lugs IS perforated at Il' near their lower ends. These lugs permit the mountingofa valve I8` on said plate. The valve I8 comprises a circular disk of rubber or some other suitable elasticmaterial. It is fairly thick and rugged throughout its body but its circumferential margin isv radially tapered to a somewhat thinner-edge. This edge is thus rendered more. readily conformable with the inner surface of the` valve chamber .immediately vabove the y mouth I 5 when thevalve disk is lowered into contact therewith. To permit of' this, the diameter of the valve disk is greater than the diameter of the mouth I5. The valve disk is provided with a depending coaxial integral stem I9, so that the valve disk and stem, collectively, are of substantially T-shape cross section and circular in plan. The valve disk is provided with holes adapted to be snugly passed over the lugs I6 and the valve secured in place upon the plate by one or more locking wires 20, passed through holes I1 or by cotter pins or in any other suitable manner.

In assembling the parts, the sleeve I I and plate I3 are first introduced into the casing at the lower end of the siphon leg as a unit. The valve disk is then bent or flexed sufficiently to permit it to-be passed through the mouth I5 into the casing I0. The valve is then rotated to bring the holes in the valve into registration with the lugs I6 and the lugs are passed through the holes, after which the locking wires are applied to lock the valve to the guide.

The valve stem I9 has a length approximately equal to the internal diameter of the valve chamber IU. Thus, when a siphon equipped with my construction is used as shown in Figure 1, the seating of the valve stems againstthe bottoms of the can and tank will impose the weight of the siphon upon these valve stems and raise the valves until the flanges I2 engage with the lower ends of the legs 6 and I. This will position the valve` disks about midway of the height of their valve casings, so that milk may flow through the mouths I5 and about the peripheries of the valve disks. At the same time the mouths of both valve casings will be supported in spaced relation above the bottom of the can and tank, as clearly shown in Figure 2. When thus positioned,

both legs of the siphon will be unsealed and milk will flow from the tank 2 through the siphon into the can until the can is lled to the desired level, which will be determined by the operator. When this level has been reached, the siphon is lifted and immediately the weight of the valves, sleeves I I, and plates I3 will cause the valves to descend so that the periphery of each valve disk will seat against the inner surface of the corresponding valve casing above the mouth I5 thereof before the legs of the siphon leave the bodies of milk in the can and tank and thus the siphon will remain charged for immediate use for the filling of the next can. It will thus be manifest that no metal part of the structure need ever touch the can. The only Contact with the can or tank is made by the lower ends of the rubber valve stems IS which can do no damage.

Apparatus of the character described requires frequent cleaning in the interest of sanitation. To allow of this, the locking wires may be readily removed to disconnect the valve from the plates I3 and these valves and the guides and plates may then be readily removed. If the seals 9 and 9a are then removed, a brush may be passed through the tubes of the siphon to thoroughly clean the same.

The structure which I have described is economical to manufacture, thoroughly eicient in its operation and absolutely sanitary in use. Since the valve casing is substantially globular, the inner surface of the same about the mouth thereof constitutes a valve seat of considerable breadth, so that the external diameter of the valve disk is not critical and will not interfere with proper seating of the valve. Furthermore, since the valve is of rubber, careful machining of this seat is not necessary.

Siphons of this character are commonly operated by hand, although, if desired, any suitable mechanical, electrical or pneumatic means for raising and lowering the siphons may be utilized without departing from this invention.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred practical form. but the invention is to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A flow controlling device for a siphon tube comprising: a valve casing having a circular bottom opening forming a mouth for the passage of liquid and surrounded by an internal valve seat, a rubber valve disk positioned within the valve casing and of greater diameter than the mouth thereof to normally engage with said seat, said rubber valve disk havinga depending valve stem projecting at all times through said mouth and having av relatively soft resilient lower end, a guide secured to said valve disk and guided for sliding movement, and a stop for limiting the upward movement of the valve.

2. A flow controlling device for a siphon tube comprising: a valve casing having a circular bottom opening forming a mouth for the passage of liquid and surrounded by an internal valve seat, a soft rubbervalve disk positioned within the valve casing and of greater diameter vthanthe mouth thereof to normally engage with: said. seat, said soft rubber valve disk :having anl integral coaxial depending soft rubber valve stem projecting at all times throughsaid mouth, a guide secured to said valve disk and guided for vertical movement, and a stop for limiting upward movement of the valve. .L 1

3. A flow controlling device'for a' siphon tube comprising: a Vvalve casing having a circular bottom opening forming a mouth for the passage of liquid and surrounded by an rinternal valve seat, a soft rubber valve disk positioned within the valve casing and of greater diameter than the mouth thereof to normally engage with said seat, said rubber valve disk having an integral coaxial depending soft rubber valve stern projecting at all times through said mouth, a guide adapted for vertical sliding movement coaxially of the Valve and carrying a valve supporting plate, means for detachably securing the valve to said plate, and a stop on said guide'for limiting the upward movement of the valve.

4. A ow controlling device for a siphon tube comprising: a substantially globular. valve casing provided at its bottom with a circular opening forming a mouth surrounded by an internal valve seat, a guide adapted for sliding movement coaxially of the valve and carrying a valvev supporting plate, a stop for limiting the upward movement of said plate, said guide and plate being of overall diameter to be passed into and out of the casing through the mouththereof, the

rubber valve disk of greater diameter than the diameter of said mouth and of less diameter than the greatest internal diameter of the casing', and means for detachably securing said valvedisk to said plate within the casing, said Valve diskl'ia'v' ing a depending integral rubber valvevstem projecting at all times through the mouth of the casing.

5. A flow controlling device for a siphon tube comprising: a substantially globular valve casing provided at its bottom with a circular opening forming a mouth surrounded by an internal valve seat, a guide adapted for sliding movement and carrying a valve supporting plate coaxial with the valve, and a stop for limiting the upward movement of said plate, said guide and plate being of overall diameter to be passed into and out of the casing through the mouth thereof, and said plate being provided on its under side with downwardly projecting valve attaching lugs, a rubber valve disk of greater diameter than the diameter of said mouth and of less diameter than the greatest internal diameter of the casing, said valve disk having therein attachment openings for detachable engagement with the lugs of said plate. said valve disk also being provided with a depending integral rubber valve stem of suflicient length i5 to extend at al1 times through and below the mouth of the casing.

WILLIAM J. TAMMINGA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 442,696 Thompson Dec. 16, 1890 1,290,358 Roberts Jan. '7, 1919 1,470,235 House Oct. 9, 1923 2,340,932 Chalupa Feb. 8, 1944 

